Mining signal system.



N0. 850,100. PATBNTED APR; 9, 1907.. N. s. RICHMOND.

MINING SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIOATIOK 21mm APB.9,1906.

a annrs-annn'r 1-;

PATENTED APR. 9. 1907.

N. s. 11103000011). MINING SIGNAL SYSTEML APPLIOA'JJIOHII'ILBD APB.9,1906.

2 SHEETS-BHEBT 2.

\ shaft, which is-inclined and has various horizontal assa-ge-s or levels 9 connecting there- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN RICHMOND, OF OSI'IKOSH, WISCONSIN.

MINING SiGNAL SYSTEM. :f a

Applicationfiledapril9,1906. SerialNo-310,661.

ior use in mines whereby signals may he sent from any level to the engineer in charge of the machinery operating the lift or skip.

An ObJGCi) of the invention 18 to provide such a signaling system. which Wlll indicate at each level the fact that asignal is being sent, and thereby avoid the intcrlerence of signals which would occur if more than one signal were sent at a time.

Another object of this invention is to provide each signal station or level of the mine with a signalingswiteh for controlling an electric-lamp circuit, there being incandescent lamps at each. signal-station to glow when the signal-circuit is closed by any signal-switch, and thus indicate the signal being given.

Anoth er vide such a signal system with a combined visible and auilible signaling means at the engineers station, the visible and audible signaling parts cooperating in the production of signals.

Another object of this invention is to provide signal-boxes and engincefis signal means of novel construction.

with the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the system and dovices, their parts and combinations herein claimed, and all equivalents thereof.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like cl'iaracti-irs of reference indicate the same parts in the several vic\\'s,-l "igure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a mineshaft with the nnproved signal system of thisnvention shown in diagram. Fig. 2 is.a front elevation of the engineers signalnieans. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View thereof. Fig. {1 is a front elevation of a sigi'iahbox, and Fig.6 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

In the drawings, 8 represents a mine- Specification of Letters Patent.

object of this invention is to prolfiatented April 9, 1907.

quently a mile or more in length, and the levols E) are arranged about one hundred feet apart. The lift or skip 10, which rides on'a suitable track 11 in the shaft, is raised and lowered by means of a cable 12,'which is wound upon a powerful engine-operated hoist under the control of the engineer in the engineers station, at the surface. The hoist is capable of very rapid operation to move the skip or lift at the speed of a mile a minute when desired. At the engineer's station the cable 12 is caused to operate the index-hand 01' an indicator 13, which'shows at a glance the position of the skip at any time. At each level is stationed an attendant, known as a lander, WllOSB duty is to signal to the engineer such information as that the skip is desired at his level to convey passeiigers, ore, timber, or the like to a specified level or. to theIsurface and whose ,duty is also to give what is known as a half-signal when the skip is slowly approaching his level to indi cate when it is in the desired position for receiving or unloading the load, so that the en? gine or may stop the ship at that point. There,

are various other signals which the hinders" are-required to transmit to the engineer on different occasions, and it is very important that one signal should not interfere with another by two or more landers signaling at the same time. It is to avoid this confusion of interfering signals that the signal-station on each. level is provided with a signal-lamp in addition to its signaling switch to glow with. each signal-contact Wherever made, and thus? caution the lander against sending signal 9. until the signal system is again out of-use.

The signal-station at each level is furnished with a signal-box, (shown in detail in;

Figs. 4 and 5,) compri casing 14, with a hinged front 15, making a water-tight compar-tinent to contain the signaling apparatus,

there being an incandescent lamp 16 mounted within the signal-box and visible through a lens 17 in the front. A hand-switch lever 18 is pivotally connected. to a projection 19 on the inside of 'thcsignal-box front and passes through a slot 2!) in said front, being normally held in its uppermost position by means of a retractile spring 2 1 I he switchlever 18 carries a contact point adapted when the lever is pressed to its lowermost position to contact with :istatioriary contact-point 22 thercbeneath, the station ary contact being mounted onthe signal-heir front and the with. n copper mines the shaft 8, is fre lparts suitablyinsulatedifroineach thegso I tlnitthe e'ontaots 'may-niake and break a sig- 'nalin -circuit in whlch the; lamp 16 is ill-- elude enerat'or 23 or other suitable soureetof tending down theshaft and connected with the'stationaryooritaot 2 2 and one side if the v signal-lamp .16 of the signal-boxateach level .101 by means of branch .wires 26 and 27 respeca'lso extending from the ,en ineers station downthe-shaft-and connecte with the other 1 side of the Signal-lamplG and also the switch- :15 lever 1-8 of the signal-box of each level'b means of branch wires 29. Thus-the signa' lam 16 are cdnnectedin multiple between o. the engineer may signal inreply when desirble','a-nd 'in-a'dditi'onthere isprovided an engineerfs' signal, which com 'rises a c mbined Visible and audible-signa means specially apted .for the pur use of this invention. he engineers signa comprises a gong '30, ln'ounted on .a base'31, which supports a ring-01a er 32,'ada ted to bestruck by t e move-iii; core 33 i a solenoid34. The olenoid is mounted on the base above the gong, so that Whenit is deiincrgiaed it dro s the core onthe clapper .32 and causes til clapper to strike the gong. 'the clapper 32 with respect to the gong may be adjusted hy-r'neans of a set-sermv 35, threaded through thebase. .The core 33 is prevented from clinging to the clapper by its residualrnagnetism byhnving' at protecting tip ofbrass or-other nozmmlgneticmaterial on its end. Tl'le gong has mounted over it a 5'0 hood 36, which constitutes a easing inelosing the solenoid, and on it ismonntcd' an inean descent lam 37,-which is-eo-nnorted in shunt with the soienohL-and their jointterminals :ponneqt with binding-posts 33 on top of the 5 5-";ho0d,\vhieh connect, hy'mean's of wires 39 and 10, withwires 831L128, respoetivelv. 'lhe signal-lam. 37. and the solonold 34 being thus connectedetwcen the signal wire 28 and the terminal wire 25 will receive the simnalin can'- ilamp-glowing the same as signal-lamps 16 and the solenoid becoming energizedi-o lift its co133 ,.s'0 that-when 'tho eurrnt'is broken and-thiisolenoid,releases its core the genre :s'uppypf electrieal energy at the en ineeris station 11mg its terihinal 'wires'24 an 25 ex ur ose above described, the lam titliely, therehing a third or signal wire; 28 v the s al-wire-28 and the terni'inal wire 25,. and; t e signal-switches; are connected insednultiple between the signarwiro' and the "the switch-hox at the difi'eren't levels, so that The position of fi'o rent-wheneyerxa signal-switeh isfblosed, the

w ll protect} drops ulpon the clap er 32 and causes it to sound t 1e gen 30.

I ith this engineers sig-f -nal each si na stroke of the key' is indicated by thev visi 'le indicatorthe lamp 37an'd e signal-key is held closed for any considerable tlme for producing the half-signal for the 37 will low continuously during the time he switch is held closed to serve as a waming to the en-v ineer' that the movement of the skip should Oates-the el' flct time at which the hoist s l'ioiild be'sto pad to cause the skip to stand in the desire location. As it is soinetilnes necessary to run trucks or cars of rails and the like exact posi'tioning ,of the skip is very. neces- 8'a v..

h l n operation a lander on any level whdde-- sires to haire the'skip brought there to carry va car-$0 to any other level will approach, the '-b e lamp 16' thereof is not glowingto indicate that some sign'a ox at his level, and if t one else is using the signal svstern he moves the hand-lever 1S downwa'r ly in number of times to make connection bet-ween the contact-points 19 and 224, so as to close the si naling-eirouit, and thereby transmit signals to the engineers station, indicating. his requirementsl The signals at the engineers station are produced {visibly and audiblv by the engineers sign I and may be read from the signal-box of al ievels by the flaring signals of-the signal-lam'ls 16, so that the lander on the level to which the skip is sent may know that it will becom'e his duty to signal the engineer when the skip is in the proper position athislevel.

When the engineer is awaiting the halfsignal for stopping the skip. at a certain level.

an some onenot aware of thefact that the. signal system 18 then m use starts to send a signal, the enginoer will know bythe position" of his indicator 13 that the skip is not near the; level where itis ordered'to stop and will realize that the signal beingsent is by mistake and jrqmtraeks at the levels onto the skip, the

is not to bG-IilldGIStOOd as the'signal to stop,

so lie-will continue the movements of the skip until ori approaehing the destination the half-signal s given, party attempting'to signal a new order will wrrolnaau' are. of'the fact that the-signal system is 1n use as soon as his lamp. lows-eon tinuously"for-the half-s1 'nal and? e will, of

Obviously the hoarse-leave his switcha one until thehalfsignal is cbmpleted'sandthe Signal system is again out of use. In thiswav-there can be no .interferem-e of signals. ireerably the by armored conduitaisuch as s neotlon with he wiring throughout the sys'temiis protected '75 A he yerys'low, as lts destmatlon ISdJelng a preached, and then the sound of the gen inr ito extending down the mine-shaft, signaling means at "each of .a number of levels of the [mine connected between the signal-wire and one of the terminal wires, an engineers signal at the engineer's station also connected ,l5 betwe'en the signal-wire and said terminal Wire, and signal-switches at each of said levels adapted to make connection between the signal-wire and the other terminal wire.

l 2. In a mining signal system, a pair of ter- 2o minal wires having connection with a suitable source of electrical supply'and extendingdown the mine-shaft, a signal-wire also 'extendin down the mine shaft, signal- "lamps at iiferent levels of the mine connected I 2 5 between the signal-wire and one of the ter minal wires, an engineers signal at the en ineers station also. connected between t e signal-wire and said terminal wire, and signal-switches at said levels ada Jted to make a connection between the signa -wire and the other terminal wire. 3. In a mining signal system, a pair of terminal wires having connection withia suitable source'of electrical supply and extend- 3 5-ing down the mine-shaft, a signal-wire also extending down the mine-shaft, a water proof signal-box at each of a number of levels containing a signal-lamp connected between the signal-wire and one of the terminal 0 wires and a signal-switch connected between the signal-wire and the other terminal wire, and an engineers signal means between the signal-wire and the terminal wire with which thejsi na'l lamps are connected.

- 4. n a mining signal system, a pair of terminal-wires having, connection with a suitable source of electrical supply and extending down the mine-shaft, a signal-wire also extending down the mine-shaft, an engineers signal between the signal wire and one of the terminalwires, and a waterproof sig al box at a level comprising a box portion with a hinged front carrying a spring-retracted contact-lever adapted to engage a stationary contact and form a signal-switch therewith,

said switch being connected between the nal-wire and the other terminal wire, an-incandes cent lampin the box member clonnected between the signal-wire and-the terminal wire with which "the engineers signal is connectedfand a lens in the box-frontwhich the incandescent lamp may through be seen. p

5. In a mining signal system, a pair of terminal Wires having-connection with a suithide source of electrical supply and extendmirral wires having connection with a suitable source of electrical supply and extending down the mine-shaft, a signal-wire also extending down the mine-shaft, signal means at each of a number of levels of the mine connected between the signal-wire and one of the terminal wires, a signal-switch at each of said levels of the mine connected between the signal-wire and the other terminal wire,

and an engineers signal comprising an incandescent lamp and a solenoid connected between the signal-wire and the terminal wire with which the signal means are connected, a core operating within the solenoid, a springclapper adapted to be engaged by the core when the core is dropped by the solenoid, and. a gong in the path of the clapper to be struck thereby. v

'7. In a mining signal system, a pair of ter minal wires having connection with a suitable source of electrical supply and extending down the mine-shaft, signal means at each of a number of levels of the mine connected between the signal-wire and one of the terminal wires, a signal-switch at each level of the mine connected between the signalwire and the other terminal wire, and an engineers signal comprising an incandescent lamp and a solenoid connected between the signal-wire and terminal wire with which the signal means are connected, a core operating within the solenoid, an adjustable springclapper adapted to be engaged by the core when the core is dropped by the solenoid, and a gong in the path of the clapper to be struck thereby, the incandescent lamp of the engineers signal visibly indicating the periods during which the signal-switches remain closed and the gong audibly indicating the instant that the signal-switches are opened.

8. In a mining signal system, a pair of terminal wircs having connection with a suit able source of electrical supply and extendlng down the mine-shaft, a signal-wire also extending down the m1neshal't, a signal-box I i s at each of a number of levels of the mne and comprising a signal-l amp connected between the signal-Wire and one of the terminal wires and a signal-switch connected between the signal-wire and the other terminal wire, a

s'ignzil-box at the engineer's station provided the solenoid, a gang beneath the clapper to with 'a. signal-lamp and a signal-switch heve, be struck thereby, a hood inelo ing the same connections as the'eqr'res ond oid and a poi'tion of the gong, an 811111 0811- ing parts in the signahbo'xes of-th e't els'g' deseentf'lafnp{mounted on'the hood andeonand an engineers signal 'at the engineris start tee-1 5d in shmit with the solenoid.

tion comprising a solenoid connected between the si nal-wire and the terminal wire-i in presence of two witnesses.

core o'perating'therein," an adjustable springwith whie'h t e signal-laimps are connected, a NORMAN S. RICHMOND. Witnesses g R. S. C. CALDWELL,

clapper beneath :the core adapted to be ANNA F. SOHMIIDIBAUER.

struck thereby when the core'is reieesed by In testimony 'Whereof I affix my signetnj l 'e thesolen; 

